1. Technical Field
This invention relates to ski pole handles, and more particularly to a pair of mirror image ski pole handles which, when grasped in the hands of a skier, position the thumb atop the ski pole handle alongside a lateral adduction splint so as to preclude injury to the thumb if the skier falls.
2. Background Art
Downhill alpine skiers have traditionally used a pair of ski poles primarily as a timing device for initiating turns while skiing. Secondarily, they are used as an aid to mobility when the skier is standing, turning, or walking, as, for example, when aligning himself or herself immediately prior to sitting onto a moving ski lift chair.
As shown in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2, the traditional ski pole handle is grasped in the skier's hand as shown with the fingers wrapped around the handle and the thumb, in an opposing position. Normally, the skier's hand is gloved, but for purposes of clarity in this specification the hand is shown without a glove in all of the drawings which accompany this specification.
Also, for purposes of standardized terminology it is important to note that the thumb is anatomically identified as the first finger, the index finger as the second finger, the middle finger as the third, the traditional ring finger as the fourth, and the small finger as the fifth finger. Using these definitions, there are two normal anatomical ways of grasping an object, the first is to cup the second through fifth fingers into or toward the palm of the hand and then to wrap the thumb or first finger around the outside of the second and third fingers. This is commonly how the hand is naturally made into a fist. The second method is also equally as natural, and that is to cup the second through fifth fingers into the palm of the hand and to rest the thumb or first finger atop of the second, cupped, finger with the distal end of the thumb resting atop the lateral portion of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the second finger.
It is a common childhood experience for children learning the essentials of bare knuckles fighting, that the second type of fist, with the thumb atop of the cupped fingers, poses a particular risk of injury to the thumb if one were to strike something with a fist formed in this manner, in that the thumb could be pushed back, injuring the ligaments of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb, which is identified in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2 as Point A.
For essentially the same reason, prior art ski handles normally provide radial top plate 21 atop prior art ski pole handle 20 to prevent the skier from positioning the thumb atop the ski pole handle.
However, an equal or perhaps greater danger presents itself if the skier positions the thumb as shown in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2, in that when a skier falls, he or she instinctively extends his or her arms and hands forward and out in front to break the impact of the fall. This exposes the skiers thumbs to the possibility of being abducted or extended away from the ski pole handle and the palm of the hand thereby damaging the thumb ulnar collateral ligaments. In fact, the tearing of the ulnar collateral ligament is one of the most common skiing related injuries, and oftentimes requires surgical repair.
During a dry land fall on an outstretched hand, the normal response is for the thumb to go into a position of adduction, protecting the ulnar collateral ligament from harmful stress. In contrast, a falling skier will continue to grasp the ski pole handles at least until the hand impacts with the snow. Therefore, the structure of any ski pole that prevents the normal adduction of the thumb and the nature of any structural member in the first web space between the thumb and the fingers, may force the thumb into abduction/extension during the fall, thus injuring the thumb ulnar collateral ligament. Even the structure taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,156, which is an attempt to provide a ski pole handle which reduces damage to the ulnar collateral ligament, can, by its very structure, create situations where damage can occur. For example, a skier grasping the ski pole handle as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,156, can abduct or extend the thumb if the hand were to rotate over the top of the handle with the thumb inserted into the thumb receiving channel of the handle.
Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to lessen and/or eliminate thumb injuries occurring during downhill skiing falls by eliminating all structure between the first web space that might act to lever the skier's thumb into abduction/extension injurious to the thumb collateral ligaments. Additionally, an adduction splint is molded onto the radial portion of the pole handle thereby preventing the skier's thumb from being forced into abduction/extension while at the same time maintaining the thumb in the protected position of adduction.